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METHQD 0F DEHYDRATINQ AND ClU'lBfillltlfit. TUBACCU.

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To all whom it may concern I Be it known that l, GEORGE HrnnnnnBENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, inthe county and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedMethod oflDehydrating and Curing Tobacco, of which the following is aspecification.

My improved method has for its objects: first, to remove the majorportion of the normally contained moisture and second, to develop thecolor and aromatic properties of the tobacco.

To carry my invention into eil'ect,-T proceed in the following manner:The tobacco leaves astaken from the fields, are suspended in anysuitable dehydrating or ouring apparatus and therein subjected to theaction of large volumes of heated air of definite temperature andhumidity, until a certain proportion of the normal water contents of thetobacco has been removed, or otherwise, until the tobacco shows a changeof color; then to the action of large volumes of air of relativelyhigher temperature and lower humidity, until a further proportion ofwater has been removed; then withdrawing the tobacco from thedehydrating apparatus, packing and treating it in the usual manner toset up fermentation to effect curing In practice T prefer to subject thetobacco to the action of moving air currents of large volume, heated toapproximately 7 5 l ah renheit and having a humidity of approxi mately85%. The action of the air currents should be maintained for anywherefrom three to five days, depending somewhat upon the nature of thetobacco treated.

the character of the leaf, that is, its texture, amount of water,nicotin, essential oils, acids, etc. With leaves of coarse texture(which, to use a trade term, sweat easily) the duration of the treatmentwill be somewhat less than will be the case with leaves of finertexture. The treatment as above described, should be continued until theleaves have a distinctly yellow color. After the treatment as abovedescribed has been continued for the required time, the temperature israised to approximately 100 Fahrenheit, and the humidity lowered tobetween 70% and 75%, and the treatment continued until all oil theoriginal water contents of the tobacco is removed with the Specificationof Letters Patent.

humidity may be somewhat varied.

Tobacco, as is well known, varies as to' Patented Aug. 115, llhllfi.

Application filed November 12, 1914. Serial No. 871,671.

exception of approximately 20%, which amount is found to be thatnecessary to coact with the enzym present to set up the fermentationrequired in the curing of the tobacco, or otherwise, until the stems ofthe tobacco become brittle. The action of the air currents should bemaintained for anywhere from three to five days, depending, as beforestated, upon the nature of the tobacco treated.

Tt will be observed from the above description, that the method, so faras described, consists essentially in first subjecting the tobacco toa'comparatively low temperature with high humidity, and then to a highertemperature with lower humidi'ty. In practice it has been demonstratedthat by using a low temperature with high humidity,;the originalextraction of moisture is slow, whereas in the subsequent treatment, byusing a higher temperature with lower humidity, the extraction of themoisture is comparatively rapid.

Tn the treatment of various grades of tobacco, it is sometimes necessaryto repeat the steps before the final extraction is completed. That is,the tobacco is first subjectedto a low temperature with high hu--midity, then to a high temperature with low the tobacco plant, or anychemical change in the structure of the plant, or destroy the enzympresent.

Tn my prior application, Serial No. 854,598, above mentioned, T havegenerally described the treatment of vegetable substances with aircurrents of various temperatures with various percentages of moisture,

'and have pointed out in such application that my intention was toproduce exosmotic effects upon the material treated by the action of aircurrents of various degrees of temperature and moisture therebyeffecting the extraction of the required percentage of moisture withoutin any wise altering the Mid chemical characteristics of the body actedto approximately 75 Fahrenheit and having a humidity of 85 continuingthe action of the air currents for a definite time until the tobaccobecomes yellow, and secondarily to the action of air currents having atemperature of 100 and a humidity of from to 3. The method of treatingtobacco which consists in subjecting it for a sufiicient time to theaction of successively applied moving bodies of air, one body having atemperature of 75 Fahrenheit and a humidity of 85%, and the other atemperature of'100 Fahrenheit and. a humidity of between 70% and 4:. Themethod of treating tobacco, which consists in first subjecting it to theaction of air currents having a temperature of 75 Fahrenheit and ahumidity of 85%, continuing theaction for approximately three days, oruntilthe tobacco shows a change of color, then subjecting it to theaction of air currents having a temperature of 100 Fahrenheit andahumidity of from 70% to 75%, and continuing the temperature andhumidity for approximately three days, or until the required amount ofthe original moisture content has been removed and the stems becomebrittle.

5. The method of treating tobacco, which consists in first subjecting itto the action of air currents having a temperature of 75 Fahrenheit, anda humidity of 85%, continuing the action for approximately three days,or until the tobacco shows a change of color, then subjecting it to theaction of air currents having a temperature of 100 Fahrenheit and ahumidity of from 70% to 7 5% and continuing the temperature and humidityfor approximately three days, or until approximately of the originalmoisture content has been removed, then removing the tobacco out of theaction of the air currents, packing it, and setting up formentation toeffect final curing.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of twowitnesses.

' GEORGE HILLARD BENJAMIN.

Witnesses:

HELEN E. Konnson, LESTER BEARDSLEY.

